Chaz Kline, owner of SG Rio, discussed with the Omaha City Council about creating a temporary tobacco license ordinance.

"The way the city ordinance is written, the tobacco license is restrictive to the actual physical location," Kline said.

If approved, it would allow for a six-day special permit for retail sales of cigars and cigarettes. The city would charge a fee of $25 a day.

"We've been asked multiple occasions over the years to provide cigars for an event. Either come out and roll cigars or come out and provide cigars," Kline said.

Mark Welsch, president of the Group to Alleviate Smoking Pollution or GASP, thinks the new ordinance should go up in smoke.

"Creating an ordinance specifically to allow more tobacco to be sold tells everybody, especially our little kids, smoking is OK," Welsch said. "They could set up a stand outside of a playground in our city parks. They could set it up in Gallagher Pool if they wanted to. Where does it end?"

Welsch said events, such as Jazz on the Green or the recent MAHA Festival, should be family friendly, not filled with second-hand smoke.

"I don't think it needs to get worse. If anything, I think we should ban smoking in all of our parks," Welsch said.

Kline said he just wants to extend his business temporarily when he's asked to provide cigars for fundraisers or other events and do it legally.

"For us, it's really the cigar level and that's really what we're interested in -- being able to participate in events where we normally might not be able to," Kline said.

CONTENTION TONIGHT OVER A PROPOSED CITY ORDINANCE THAT WOULD ALLOW TOBACCO SALES-- OUTSIDE. AT FESTIVALS OR FUNDRAISERS.(Chaz Kline: "It's really for small unique events.") BUT OPPONENTS THINK THE PROPOSAL LEAVES THE DOOR OPEN FOR SOMEONE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE. GOOD EVENING, I'M ROB MCCARTNEY. I'M MELISSA FRY IN FOR BRANDI PETERSEN. SIMILAR TO A SPECIAL LIQUOR LICENSE, THE CITY COUNCIL WOULD HAVE TO APPROVE A TEMPORARY TOBACCO DEALER'S LICENSE. AND A 25-DOLLAR A DAY FEE IS ALL YOU NEED TO GET ONE. K-E-T-V NEWSWATCH SEVEN'S ADRIAN WHITSETT JOINS US LIVE WITH THE BIG STORY. IMAGINE YOU'RE AT AN EVENT AT A CITY PARK, MAYBE MOVIES AT MIDTOWN. -AND YOU WERE ABLE TO BUY TOBACCO--WITHOUT HAVING TO STOP IN AN ACTUAL STORE. THAT'S THE áGOAL OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE...A TEMPORARY SALES SPOT FOR UP TO SIX DAYS. BUT ONE GROUP SAYS NO ONE SHOULD SELL TOBACCO HERE. AND IF THEY HAD THEIR WAY, SMOKING WOULD BE BANNED IN CITY PARKS ALTOGETHER. EVERY HAND-ROLLED CIGAR INSIDE S-G ROI IS ONE OF A KIND. INCLUDING THE ONES OWNER CHAZ KLINE HELPED BLEND HIMSELF IN NICARAGUA. IT'S A SINGULAR SENSATION, KLINE WANTS TO TAKE áOUTSIDE HIS OLD MARKET STORE. (Chaz Kline: "We've been asked multiple occasions over the years to provide cigars for an event.Either come out and roll cigars or come out and provide cigars.") BUT KLINE SAYS THERE WASN'T A áPROPER WAY TO DO THAT...(Chaz Kline: "The way the city ordinance is written, the tobacco license is restrictive to the actual physical location.") SO HE TALKED TO THE CITY COUNCIL ABOUT CREATING A áTEMPORARY TOBACCO LICENSE ORDINANCE. SET FOR PUBLIC HEARING TUESDAY...IT WOULD ALLOW FOR A SIX DAY SPECIAL PERMIT FOR RETAIL SALES OF CIGARS AND CIGARETTES.(Mark Welsch: "Creating an ordinance specifically to allow more tobacco to be sold tells everybody, especially our little kids...smoking is ok.") MARK WELSCH, PRESIDENT OF THE GROUP TO ALLEVIATE SMOKING POLLUTION THINKS THE áNEW ORDINANCE SHOULD GO UP IN SMOKE.(Mark Welsch: "They could set up a stand outside of a playground in our city parks. They could set it up in Gallagher pool if they wanted to. Where does it end?") WELSCH SAYS EVENTS, LIKE JAZZ ON THE GREEN, OR THE RECENT MAHA FESTIVAL SHOULD BE FAMILY FRIENDLY -- NOT FILLED WITH SECOND-HAND.(Mark Welsch: "I don't think it needs to get worse. If anything I think we should ban smoking in all of our parks.") CHAZ KLINE JUST WANTS TO EXTEND HIS BUSINESS, TEMPORARILY --(Chaz Kline: "For us its really the cigar level and that's really what we're interested in. Being able to participate in events where we normally might not be able to.") YOU CAN LET THE CITY COUNCIL KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE AT TOMORROW'S PUBLIC HEARING. REPORTING LIVE AT TURNER PARK AT MIDTOWN CROSSING, ADRIAN WHITSETT, KETV NEWSWATCH SEVEN.

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